The Black Stallion and the Lost City by Steve Farley Read Free Book Online Page A

scooped up her son. Conrad and another wrangler chased after the two runaway snakes.
    “Cut,” called the director.
    “No worries, folks. They’re not poisonous,” Conrad called out. “Just give me a minute here …”
    Karst nudged Alec with his elbow. “What I tell you,” he said with a laugh. “Train snakes? I hope boss knows what he’s doing.”
    The snake wranglers corralled the snakes while Helen listened to Bateman telling her she had nothing to worry about and that her child was in no danger. In the end, Helen apologized for spoiling the shot.
    As the crew set up for the next take, Alec began to wonder how the Black was doing. He looked at his watch and decided he’d better get back to the stable. This was a job for all of them, and Xeena probably had other things to do than babysit the Black while Alec hung around the set like a tourist.
    That night at dinner, Alec heard the snake scene was finally completed successfully, and after the rest of the day’s shooting for the black unit was finished, Bateman helicoptered back to the film’s base camp farther down the mountain. The director was scheduled back the next morning to finish up the last few scenes of the monastery shoot with the black unit.
    Alec spoke with Conrad and some of the other wranglers. Once again, all anyone could talk about was the trouble they had getting their animals to perform. If they weren’t fast asleep and unwilling to wake up, they were trying to bust out of their cages and stalls and run off. Alec wondered about this. In a way it was a relief that the Black wasn’t the only one that had acted up today. Conrad said he would be glad when this shoot was over and they could get back home.

The Falls
    Alec slept on a stable cot in the Black’s tent again that night. The next morning he woke late. The first thing he noticed was how unusually quiet it was outside. He hadn’t heard a helicopter or even the sounds of the generators powering up at the location site. Alec wondered if Bateman was even here yet.
    The Black was awake when Alec stepped into his stall to bring him his breakfast. Alec spoke to his horse as the Black paced around his stall, the stallion feigning indifference to him at first. After a few more turns around the stall, the Black finally allowed Alec to touch his neck, then dipped his head into the feed trough to sniff at the special mix of oats and bran mash Alec had prepared for him. “Good morning to you too,” Alec said. He watched the Black another minute and then went outside to the craft-services table to get himself a cup of coffee and a banana.
    “There you are,” a voice called behind him asAlec made a beeline for the coffee. He turned and saw it was Jeff. “I checked your room and you weren’t there.”
    “I slept out here. It was nice.”
    Jeff nodded and smiled. “I wanted to tell you there’s been a little change in plans. Bateman’s chopper broke down, and they are waiting on a part. It will probably take the rest of the day to fix it. The word is that we should sit tight and wait.”
    Alec laughed. “Fine with me.”
    “If you want to join us, some of the guys will be playing a game of cards in the dining room after breakfast to kill some time.”
    “Thanks,” Alec said, and followed Jeff toward the dining area, where an American-style breakfast buffet was set up.
    When the meal was over, Alec bowed out of the card game and told Jeff he was going to take the Black for a walk.
    “Just remember, the other side of the river is off-limits,” Jeff said as Alec got up from the table. “The government guy made that really clear. It’s some club or resort or something over there. Plenty to see on this side of the river, I imagine.”
    “We’ll be careful,” Alec said.
    Alec wanted to give his horse a break today, so when he led the Black from his stall, the stallion woreno saddle or bridle, only a loose halter with a short lead shank attached. A horse like the Black would not tolerate